Strange Discovery: Open Wide

Shocking Discovery: Under the Influence

Employers are increasingly citing inappropriate social media behavior as their reason to pass over job candidates, according to a recent survey from CareerBuilder. And hirers sometimes dismiss serious contenders because they find out unsettling information about them via social media. To best position yourself for a great career opportunity, keep in mind that companies are increasingly researching social media profiles of interviewees before making a final decision. It's essential to use good judgment—not only about what you post, but also about the content the people in your network are posting. Though it's unfair, some employers take a "guilt by association" approach to screening job candidates. It's also important to search yourself on social media, to verify that all online information is accurate and is not potentially damaging. "Job seekers need to stay vigilant," advises Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "They must pay attention to privacy updates from all their social networking accounts, so they know what information is out there for others to see. Take control of your Web presence by limiting who can post to your profile and by monitoring posts you've been tagged in." The following are common practices that kept candidates from getting jobs, along with some strange and even shocking social media postings that hirers discovered about contenders. Nearly 2,140 hiring managers and HR professionals and more than 3,020 workers took part in the research.